Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw) recently released its 2018 sustainability report. The report emphasizes the company’s efforts to sustain[HUMAN]ability, an endeavor to put people at the heart of its sustainability efforts--addressing planetary health and human experience at the same time.
“We’re committed to leading by example, by staying true to who we’ve always been: A company founded on putting people first. A business built on integrity and powered by innovation,” said Vance Bell, Shaw Industries chairman and CEO.
Susan Farris, vice president of sustainability and corporate communications for Shaw, added, “The definition of sustainability is broadening to include potential impacts on our human experiences, not only the importance of ingredients that go into products, but also the effects of sound, moisture and other design elements. In addition to the important benchmarks of energy, water, waste and emissions that have been the core to the sustainability journey for decades, the human experience within the built environment is increasingly important to our diverse array of stakeholders. We perpetually take the next step forward, across every element of our sustainability strategy - beginning with the human element.”
The report exemplifies how Shaw is responding to the evolving sustainability landscape through its ongoing initiatives and key accomplishments: a continued 20-year commitment to Cradle to Cradle principles providing a framework that focuses on material health and the ingredients that go into products, in addition to material reuse, renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness; a reduced energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) impact, cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions in half from 2010 baseline; achievement of carbon neutrality in commercial carpet manufacturing operations globally; a Combined Heat & Power plant at its Columbia, S.C. fiber production facility, which reduces the plant’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 26,000 metric tonnes; joining the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment as part of the momentous Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco; incorporating the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact into its more robust sustainable sourcing policy; recycling almost 1 billion pounds of carpet since 2006 and more than 24 billion bottles at Clear Path Recycling since 2009; investing more than $1.5 billion in new and existing facilities in the U.S. over the past five years; provided more than 1.3 million training hours for its associates; and donations of more than $6.5 million to non-profit organizations in conjunction with associates.
In 2018, Shaw engaged Framework, LLC, a sustainability consulting firm, to update its materiality assessment, (first conducted in 2014) to ensure sustainability priorities and goals align with current market expectations. This process identified 10 high priority (material) issues for Shaw stakeholders and leadership, including: Climate Change and GHGs; Customer Satisfaction; z Product End of Life; Product Environmental Impact (Manufacturing); Product Human Impact (Use); Product Innovation; Supply Chain Management; Sustainability Marketing; Talent Management; and Transparency and Product Disclosures. In the year ahead, Shaw will identify or adjust goals to align with these priority items.
For more information, visit shawinc.com.
